Toolbox: Simple Self-Leveling Laser

There's a lot of gee-whiz appeal in
high-tech leveling instruments. That
first time you pull out a beeping, digital
level, or a stick level with a laser
on one end, you get a lot of attention
from other crew members and all the
subs on site. But I have to wonder if
some of these devices won't end up
like the Betamax and the 8-track
player. After all the "wow" has worn
off, will that instrument get buried
in the truck under a pile of tools
that get used more frequently? More
important, what are the VHS and
CD equivalents of the tool world —
the second-generation electronics that
we'll still be using years from now?
Enter